How many do they keep receipts for utility bills? Advice of a lawyer

The storage of payment documents becomes difficult due to the place they occupy. But how many do they keep receipts for utility bills? And what's the point of doing this?

What is the problem?

It consists in the fact that a person regularly pays for the services provided. After a long period of time it turns out that he has accumulated debts. Difficulties with debts arise in relations with all organizations in the sphere of housing and communal services. We are talking about a management company or a HOA, companies involved in water, electricity and gas supply. Suffer, unfortunately, and bona fide homeowners.

How many do they keep receipts for utility bills? Someone for a year, someone for two years, someone keeps them as the most valuable property - a lifetime.

They are needed in order to prove the unreasonable nature of the claims. Because of the lack of a well-established work of departments in public services bills are being billed to bona fide payers. The only solution is to provide a receipt confirming the absence of debt. The court session closes as soon as the consumer provides the housing and utilities receipts.

In modern conditions, the organization must specify the amount of debt for the current period (month) and the existence of debt for the past time. Previously, such little practice.

The role of receipts

The goal of automating the process and the desire to protect the interests of companies and consumers made us develop a system of receipts. Utilities receipts are developed at the governmental level.

At the same time, even residents of apartments receive different content documents. This is due to the different characteristics of the house, the list of services received by residents. For example, not every house has a basement or intercom.

Owners of private houses in the city and in the suburban area pay a minimum list of services: gas, water, electricity, garbage disposal. They receive housing and communal services receipts only for the services listed. In addition, they are left with the opportunity to pay with the municipal services directly.

The receipt is an official document that meets the requirements of the law with indication of the accrued debt and confirms at the same time the fact of payment.

Given that difficulties can arise at any time, the answer to the question of how many to store receipts for payment of housing and utilities - as long as possible, 3 years may not be enough time. Below is told why. Accuracy and scrupulousness do not interfere.

What is written into receipts

They contain a considerable amount of information:

• Information on the owner of the housing or the recipient of services (name, address);
• The type of the supplied resource;
• account number;
• Information on the municipal service (full name, accounts in banks);
• The period for which the account is inserted;
• Previous payment;
• The amount of debt as a result of the recalculation;
• Volume of services received (amount of garbage, water delivered, volume of electricity, etc.);
• Information on benefits, installments, if any.

Inhabitants of private houses receive receipts of housing and communal services for each service separately, residents of apartment buildings are billed more often in a single document.

What the legislation says

People do not have a common opinion about what period of time it is worth keeping receipts. In general, there is nowhere a strict rule regarding the storage of receipts. How many receipts for payment need to be kept, no normative document will directly tell. Only on receipts is a mark on keeping them for 3 years.

The basis for this is the provision of the Civil Code .. During this time the company has the right to apply to the court to recover the debt.

At the same time, the court is not obliged to automatically refuse to open a case to the plaintiff. This is often a problem for citizens. If you do not declare in the court of first instance that the statute of limitations has passed, the judge can consider the case and decide not in favor of the consumer. Therefore, it is worth immediately declaring a deadline. It is advisable to write a written application to this account and hand it in advance to the office, ask for a note on acceptance on the left-over copy.

It is difficult for the judge to make a claim, because He is not obliged to take into account the term of 3 years without the initiative of the party in the case.

In some cases, plaintiffs refer to the fact that the time is calculated separately for each payment that the consumer owes.

What are the ways of paying for services?

There are many opportunities to pay utility bills. Whichever method is chosen, the fact how many receipts are kept for paying utility bills is not affected.

Money is made through terminals that accept payment for a variety of services, through the cash desks of enterprises or the Unified Settlement Centers that receive money from the public. In the electric power industry, companies that exclusively deal with the collection of funds for services rendered operate.

Citizens who have bank cards use the e-bank system so as not to waste time visiting the office. Companies try to keep accounts in all local banks, so that consumers can pay where they are more convenient.

People continue to use mail services, though not all utilities conclude agreements with it for public services.

All the above payment methods leave a confirmation of payment received in the form of checks.

Proof of payment

In addition to answering the question about how many receipts are kept for payment of utilities, it is worth considering a number of nuances.

The payment documents must be stamped by the bank or cashier of the post office or other organization that accepts the money. It is more difficult with terminals to accept payment, they issue checks without a seal, which in the future can create problems. The request to correct the defect will save in the future from unrest.

The situation with banks is different. When paying through the electronic system, the user keeps the receipt electronically in the institution's database. At any time, then you can print it out and get a stamp in the bank with the signature of the department employee. About how much to store receipts on payment of housing and communal services, in this case it is possible not to reflect. The attitude towards the storage of receipts is influenced by the reputation of companies: some are constantly starting to argue with tenants, while others are approaching in a different way, and do not require superfluous.